Question about Virtual Pc

[thescreensavers]

What if a virus were to infect the virtual PC would my non virtual computer be safe?

 

[Nothinman]

Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how you have the guest setup and how the virus propogates.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If it has a shared disk foldler with the host OS to pass files back and forth then the virus could infect files in that folder.

Some viruses can then infect the host OS when you browse to the folder without running the file if:
- you have folder options set to look in files to display extra information about them, or to make thumbnails of images, and
- it's a virus the host OS doesn't yet catch in its AV software

If you don't have any shared folders or partitions then the host OS is safe.

 

[thescreensavers]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
If it has a shared disk foldler with the host OS to pass files back and forth then the virus could infect files in that folder.

Some viruses can then infect the host OS when you browse to the folder without running the file if:
- you have folder options set to look in files to display extra information about them, or to make thumbnails of images, and
- it's a virus the host OS doesn't yet catch in its AV software

If you don't have any shared folders or partitions then the host OS is safe.

I can disable sharing between the 2 but the virtual got internet thru the host

 

[DaveSimmons]

That's harmless, the host is just acting as a router. A virus delivered to the guest OS would flow through the router as inert packets of data.

 

[thescreensavers]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
That's harmless, the host is just acting as a router. A virus delivered to the guest OS would flow through the router as inert packets of data.

so i am safe? I just want very few apps on my host so its virus free

 

[Nothinman]

That's harmless, the host is just acting as a router. A virus delivered to the guest OS would flow through the router as inert packets of data.

I've only used VMWare but the host is accessible in all of it's networking modes and I would assume the same is true of VPC.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

That's harmless, the host is just acting as a router. A virus delivered to the guest OS would flow through the router as inert packets of data.

I've only used VMWare but the host is accessible in all of it's networking modes and I would assume the same is true of VPC.

(slaps forehead) d'oh!

You're 100% correct, though VPC does have modes like loopback where the host is not accessible.

What I said was correct in terms of the guest OS infecting the host by directly accessing the hard drive or from the network transfers themselves. But!

If the host OS lets the guest OS access the local network, it's just like having 2 machines on a LAN. If one machine on the LAN is infected it can attempt to attack the other machine over the network through exploits like holes in file and printer sharing.

 

[thescreensavers]

so.. am I safe??

 

[DaveSimmons]

Not with most ways of having network access enabled.

I'll need to check the docs to see if there is a safe network configuration that allows internet access but hides all other machines from the guest OS, then you'd be safe.

 

[Nothinman]

so.. am I safe??

You're as safe as you would be if you were plugged into a network where another machine was infected with something.

 

[Freshgeardude]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

so.. am I safe??

You're as safe as you would be if you were plugged into a network where another machine was infected with something.